In communication systems including base stations and user terminals (user equipment: UE; hereinafter may also be referred to simply as “terminals”), machine type communication (MTC) terminals have recently attracted attention as new terminals. Examples of the MTC terminals include a smart meter that is an electricity meter having a radio communication function, and a vending machine having a radio communication function. A smart meter having a radio communication function transmits data of measured electricity usage and the like to a server via a base station and a core network, for example. A vending machine having a radio communication function transmits sales information, information on stock in the vending machine, and the like to a server via a base station and a core network, for example.
Additional introduction of MTC terminals into a communication system including conventional terminals such as cellular phones, smart phones, and tablet terminals has also been considered.
Examples of related-art are described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-086694, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-148580, and in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-166593.
In recent years, however, with increasing use of smart phones, tablet terminals and the like capable of transmitting and receiving a great deal of data of a variety of types, the circumstances are such that the communication traffic in communication systems is rapidly increasing. If MTC terminals are additionally introduced under such circumstances, the communication traffic will further increase, which increases the load on a core network. Since the communication resources in a core network are limited, it is expected that the increase in the communication traffic resulting from introduction of MTC terminals will have an adverse effect on communication of existing terminals.